1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an electrooptical device and an apparatus to manufacture the same, an electrooptical device and electronic appliances including the electrooptical device. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an electrooptical device including a luminous element, such as an organic EL element, an electrooptical device, and electronic appliances.
2. Description of Related Art
Related art electrooptical devices such as liquid crystal device and organic EL (electroluminescence) device include a plurality of circuit elements, electrodes, and a liquid crystal or an EL element laminated on a substrate. For example, the organic EL device has a luminous element including a luminous layer containing luminous substances interposed between electrode layers of an anode and a cathode. Positive holes injected from the anode side and electrons injected from the cathode side are recombined in a luminous layer having light emitting ability, and light is emitted when the electrons are deactivated from an excited state.
However, the related art electrooptical device as described above is subject to the following problems.
Since the organic EL device having the above construction includes an electric current driving luminous element, an electric current is required to flow between the anode and cathode to emit light. Consequently, the element is heated while emitting the light, and the element is deteriorated by accelerating oxidation of the materials constituting the element due to oxygen and moisture, when the element is placed in an environment containing oxygen and moisture. Alkali metals and alkali earth metals used for the cathode are particularly liable to be oxidized. Generation and growth of dark spots are representative examples of deterioration of the element by oxidation and moisture. The dark spots mean defects of luminous points. Decrease and instability of luminance due to decrease of stability with time, and short service life have been the problems related to advanced deterioration of the luminous element related to driving of the organic EL device.
Accordingly, a method of blocking the electrooptical device from the atmosphere has been developed as one of the countermeasures to reduce or suppress the element from being deteriorated, wherein a substrate on which the luminous element is disposed and a seal member are integrated with an adhesive, and the luminous element is disposed in a space formed with the substrate, seal member and adhesive. However, since the substrate and seal member may slip out of position unless the electrooptical device is transferred after the adhesive has been completely hardened when, for example, the electrooptical device is transferred during the manufacturing process, it creates a problem that productivity is decreased because the electrooptical device cannot be transferred, or the transfer speed should be slow even when it is transferred, before the adhesive is completely hardened.